If you ever doubt the importance of teaching history to today's kids, just watch almost any supposedly fact-based TV drama. From "The Borgias" to "The White Queen" and now with the CW's "Reign," television routinely treats history like a rough draft.

But, really, who needs facts if a show works? Certainly not "Reign," which purports to tell the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her first husband, the Dauphin of France, who would become, ever so briefly, Francis II.

Since this is the CW, of course, these two are young and hot. Think of it as "One Tree Hill" with codpieces and wimples.

In real life, Francis was a sickly 15-year-old when he married Mary, who wasn't any looker herself, and ruled France for a year and a half before he bought the ferme.

Mary (Adelaide Kane, "Teen Wolf") has been hidden away in a convent to be raised by nuns and kept out of harm's way. She even has an official food taster, who, alas, is unable to file for workers' comp after her face lands in a bowl of poisoned soup.

As a child, Mary played with young Francis (Toby Regbo, "Treasure Island"), but although they've been betrothed for, like, ever, they haven't seen each other in years.

Their reunion is initially warm, until Mary realizes that betrothal doesn't necessarily lead to marriage but is, instead, wrapped up in complicated politics. While the marriage might benefit Scotland, it would be troublesome for France.

When he's not dallying with his mistress, Francis seems smitten with his intended, but other forces at the French court are at work to make sure the marriage never takes place. For one thing, Mary would have the mother-in-law of all mother-in-law problems if she ever made it alive to the altar.

Francis' mom, Catherine (Megan Follows, "World Without End"), has been told by none other than Nostradamus (Rossif Sutherland, "King") that her son is doomed if he marries the Scot.

Meanwhile, there's another potential player in all of this, Francis' half brother, the bastard Sebastian, a.k.a. "Bash" (Torrance Coombs, "Heartland"). He's a bastard in the literal sense, since he's the son of the king's mistress, but he may be a bastard in the more general sense as well, because he covets his brother's fiancee.

Mary quickly realizes how alone she is at court, with only her posse of pretty girlfriends to trust. But she seems to have at least one unseen ally, who shows up to warn her away from drinking what turns out to be roofied wine at a party later that evening.

The costumes are a bit ridiculous. Francis looks like a biker boy while Mary and her backup group seem ever-ready to pop out of their low-cut gowns.

But again: history, schmistory. Deal with it.

Kane is captivating as young Mary, making her not only a passionate heroine, but a savvy one as well. Regbo, who is almost as attractive as Mary, is credibly commanding as young Francis.

The only question is, what happens if "Reign" keeps getting renewed, given how brief Francis' life was? Well, no matter: The real Francis may not have lived past 16, but that's just history. On TV, he can live forever.